Ottawa police Chief Vern White said the federal government should do more to help solve the city's street drug problem — but he knows what kind of help he doesn't want.

"I don't want to let no governments off the hook on this issue," White told CBC News Thursday. "It's everyone's problem."

But that help should come in the form of treatment and education, he said.

"There needs to be a greater level of addiction counsellors in our school systems across the country," he said.

On the other hand, he made it clear at a public Police Services Board meeting earlier in the week that there are some federal drug initiatives he doesn't support.

When asked by a member of the public about the possibility of opening a supervised drug injection site in Ottawa like those in Vancouver, White said that would have to be a federal government project.

But he said he wants no part in such a venture.

"Just so we're clear … it [the Vancouver site] has not had the success they were hoping when it comes to finding no needles on the streets," he said.

The site was intended to help connect drug users with health-care professionals and addiction services.

Nepan-Carleton Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre said the federal government's anti-drug strategy already includes money for treatment, but it's up to the provincial government to use the funds.

"There are dollars available and I'd hope that Mr. McGuinty would finally put those dollars to use and work towards helping drug treatment in this city," he said.

He said he hoped the Ontario government will soon announce its plans regarding a new local drug treatment centre for youth in the Ottawa area, but couldn't say if federal money would go toward that particular project.